So Much Food: Apple Cider Braised Pork Shoulder and Gordon Ramsay: Parsnip Purée

I got a beautiful piece of bone-in pork at the store, and they were also having a sale on apples, so I figured it was time to make something with the produce of the season before we started getting into spring.  Thankfully, I was able to grab some apple cider still, which is a huge reason this dish turns out so deliciously.  Instead of potatoes, I wanted to take advantage of the beautiful parsnips I found, and this mash is actually some of the most delicious stuff I've had lately.  Definitely lick-the-bowl worthy.

Apple Cider Braised Pork Shoulder
From So Much Food blog

4 to 5 pounds pork shoulder, cut into large chunks (boneless or bone-in)
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups fresh apple cider
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon dehydrated minced onion
1 head garlic, top sliced off opposite of the root end
3 rosemary sprigs
4 thyme sprigs
1 red onion, cut into thick slices
2 firm and slightly tart apples (such as Honeycrisp), peeled and cut into wedges
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat an oven to 325°F.

Pat the pork pieces dry with a paper towel and season liberally all over with kosher salt and pepper. If you're using boneless pork, aim for 4 large pieces of pork. If you're using bone-in, opt for 2 large pieces, cutting around the bone.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, arrange the pork in a single layer. Sear for 4 to 5 minutes per side until the pork is deeply browned. Repeat on all sides. Depending on the size of your Dutch oven, you may need to do this in batches.

While the pork is searing, whisk together the cider, broth, Dijon, and dehydrated minced onion together and set aside. Use kitchen twine to tie the rosemary and thyme together in a small bundle.

Once the pork is browned all over, pour in the braising liquid. Arrange the herbs and garlic head in the pot with the pork, cover and place in the oven.

Braise for 3 hours or so (start checking at 2 and a half hours for boneless), flipping the pork halfway through. Once the pork is just shy of fork tender, remove the pork from the oven and arrange the onions and apples around the pork. Cover and return to the oven for another 45 minutes to 1 hour. The pork should be very tender at this point.

Remove the pork and let it rest in its juices for 30 minutes before serving.


Makes 6 servings

Parsnip Purée
Adapted from Gordon Ramsay as seen at The Food XP blog

1½ pounds parsnips, peeled and cubed

2 cups heavy cream

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 garlic cloves, smashed
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)

To a pot containing slightly salted water, add peeled parsnip cubes and bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes until the parsnips are tender.

To a saucepan, add cream, thyme, and garlic cloves. Cook over low heat and bring it to a simmer.  Strain out the garlic and thyme and set aside.

Drain the cooked parsnips and transfer to a blender.  Add the butter and 2 to 3 tablespoons of the cream and begin blending the mixture. Slowly add more heavy cream until the mixture is smooth and the desired thickness.  Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 to 6 servings